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Review: The Silence Factory by Bridget Collins
I really tossed up whether to share my review of this one here, because I really like to focus on books that I want to rave about and, as you’ll see if you read on below, this one just missed the mark a bit for me. I decided that in the spirit of transparency, and maybe vulnerability, I wanted to try and articulate what it was that did and didn’t work for me. I also think there are plenty of elements in here that might appeal to other readers. I’d love to know if you read my review whether any of this resonates for you too! I’m going to pop…
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Book Review: The Maiden by Kate Foster
Kate Foster’s debut novel The Maiden caught my eye when it was long-listed for the Women’s Prize for Fiction this year. It stood out to me from the other titles because I do love historical fiction AND I was interested in reading books set in Scotland – Edinburgh in particular – in the lead up to our holiday there. As always, I’ve popped the synopsis here, and then my thoughts below. Synopsis of Kate Foster’s The Maiden In the end, it did not matter what I said at my trial. No one believed me. Edinburgh, October 1679. Lady Christian is arrested and charged with the murder of her lover, James Forrester.…
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Review :: The London Séance Society by Sarah Penner
I know we aren’t supposed to judge books by their covers, but I’d be totally lying if I said it wasn’t that gorgeous cover that first caught my attention. I’m glad to say I absolutely loved the contents too! What is Sarah Penner’s The London Séance Society about? May mercy be upon the man who finds himself the enemy of a vengeful medium… 1873.At an abandoned château on the outskirts of Paris, a dark séance is about to take place, led by acclaimed spiritualist Vaudeline D’Allaire. Known worldwide for her talent in conjuring the spirits of murder victims to ascertain the identities of the people who killed them, she is…
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Review :: The Keepsake by Julie Brooks
If you’ve been here before you might know that I’m a sucker for a book that brings together stories from different timelines, so I was super excited to read Julie Brooks’ new novel, The Keepsake. The team at Hachette kindly sent me an early copy for review – check out my thoughts below. What is Julie Brooks’ The Keepsake about? 1832: The morning after her father’s funeral, Prudence Merryfield wakes to the liberating thought that this is the first day of her new life. At thirty-five and unmarried, she is now mistress of her own fate. But a cruel revelation at the reading of her father’s will forces Prudence to…
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Review :: The Homecoming by Alison Stuart
I love to read Australian historical fiction and two of my absolute favourite books in this genre are Alison Stuart’s Maiden Creek books, The Postmistress and The Goldminer’s Sister. I knew there was a third book coming so I’ve been keeping an eye out and when The Homecoming was announced for release this month it immediately made it onto my list of most anticipated 2023 releases. The team at Harper Collins kindly sent me an early copy and I’ve been looking forward to sharing my thoughts with you. Check out the synopsis then read on below for my review. What is Alison Stuart’s The Homecoming about? 1892. It has been…
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Currently Reading :: My Royal Story: Catherine of Aragon by Alison Prince
This is a “currently reading” post with a difference today – I love seeing what kids are reading, so I thought it would be fun to share what my almost 9yr old has brought home from the library this week. We saw SIX The Musical when it was here in Canberra and she has been Tudor queen obsessed ever since, so she was very excited to come across some books about the Tudors at the school library. This week’s selection is My Royal Story: Catherine of Aragon – check out the blurb below! xo Bron My Royal Story: Catherine of Aragon CATHERINE OF ARAGON is a thrilling story-diary set among…
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Review :: The Cartographer’s Secret by Tea Cooper
I love reading historical fiction set in Australia, and had read and enjoyed a couple of Tea Cooper’s novels in the past, so I was definitely keen to get my hands and eyes on The Cartographer’s Secret. This one is backlist now – Cooper’s The Fossil Hunter came out in 2021, and The Butterfly Collector is coming out in 2022 – but I was so pleased to finally get into it (and won’t be waiting so long to get into the next ones)! Check out the synopsis for the novel, then scroll down for my review. Synopsis of Tea Cooper’s The Cartographer’s Secret 1880 The Hunter ValleyEvie Ludgrove loves to…
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Friday Favourites :: 20 May
Painting class is back! If you’ve been around a while you might remember that I started going to a watercolour class about a year ago. Our second term was cut short by a covid lockdown, and last week classes finally started again. I find it so helpful to have that time set aside where I actually leave the house specifically to paint, otherwise I am not great at making time to practice. Lately I’ve been finding myself super inspired by book covers, like this one for Eleanor Limprecht’s new historical fiction novel, The Coast, which was a perfect reference image for our class on clouds this week. Big thanks to…
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Review :: The Riviera House by Natasha Lester
What is Natasha Lester’s The Riviera House about? Paris, 1939 While working at the Louvre, Eliane Dufort falls for talented painter Xavier. But when the Nazis occupy the city, Xavier leaves for England and Eliane must send her sisters to the country. Broken-hearted, she finds herself working with the mysterious Rose Valland on a dangerous secret mission for the French Resistance: to record all the priceless national treasures the Germans are stealing. Present Day Desperate to escape her grief, Remy Lang arrives at a stunning private estate on the French Riviera. While working on her vintage fashion business, she discovers a catalogue of artworks stolen during World War II and…
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#LOVEOZYA :: When Days Tilt by Karen Ginnane
What is Karen Ginnane’s When Days Tilt about? It’s 1858, and there are two queens on the throne. Victoria reigns over London, the biggest city the world has ever known. But London has a secret shadow city, called Donlon, where another queen, the Green Witch, rules her own domain – time. London is in turmoil. The Thames is at the height of the Great Stink; a blazing comet is searing the sky; technology is moving so fast it seems otherworldly; and the city is exploding with more people than it can hold. Darwin is about to publish his theory of evolution and humanity’s very place in the world is in…
